WINSTON-SALEM – Five faculty members at the University of North
Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) have
received Excellence in Teaching Awards.
The awards were announced on Tuesday.

They include: Eric Larsen, School of
Music; Joe Lopina, School of Filmmaking;
Kelly Maxner, School of Drama; Nancy
Streblow, High School Academic Program;
and Will Taylor, School of Design &
Production Visual Arts Program.

Eric
Larsen, School of Music

Mr. Eric Larsen has
served as a member of the Music faculty
since 1978. In his artistic/teaching
philosophy statement, Eric discusses his
passion for teaching, and how he feels
that his work at UNCSA is a way of
giving to students the same type of
goodwill and fortune that he has
received during his career. He comments
on this, saying that “The nature of
teaching a musician is intimate and
personal. It must deal with the whole
person and not, in this case, ten
fingers. The information I have to offer
is necessarily personalized to meet the
needs of each student.”

This idea of being
focused on working with each student as
an individual to help them become the
most well-rounded and successful
artist-citizen possible is apparent in a
student’s letter of nomination. The
student stated that “…my piano teacher
Mr. Larsen has not only trained me to be
a better pianist, but has also taught me
how to be a respectable musician, a
responsible person.” This
student-centered approach was also noted
by one of Eric’s supporters, who
commented that “His teaching methodology
uses a student-centered approach that
relies heavily on the creation of a
strong sense of community within his
studio. This is plainly visible in the
master class setting, where I have
witnessed students who speak openly,
honestly, and supportively about the
performances of their peers.”

While there are
clearly a number of discrete factors
that contribute to Eric’s success,
perhaps the student nominator’s
concluding thoughts best summarize why
Eric is such a worthy recipient of this
Excellence in Teaching Award: “He is a
wonderful pianist, an admirable teacher,
an earnest musician, a good person.”

Joe
Lopina, School of Filmmaking

While he has been a
member of the faculty since 2008, Mr.
Joe Lopina has worked in the School of
Filmmaking in a variety of roles since
the program’s inception in 1993. He has
had the opportunity to serve as a member
of the staff, the faculty, as Chair of
the Animation Department, and as an
Assistant Dean; the variety of duties
and responsibilities highlight Joe’s
talent and dedication to developing
filmmakers.

Joe’s passion for
teaching and learning is summarized in
his philosophy statement, where he
mentions that “The process of
questioning, listening, and learning
about each other provides an opportunity
to better understand and recognize the
various perspective in the classroom,
and can potentially facilitate a more
constructive dialog that thoughtfully
transforms information into knowledge. “
Joe’s student evaluations are incredibly
positive, with students commenting on
the outstanding quality of instruction
he provides, while also pushing them to
achieve even greater levels of success.
This ability to be supportive while
demanding excellence was noted in his
peer evaluation, with the committee
commenting that he “…is prepared,
articulate, and enthusiastic in the
classroom, expecting only the best from
his students. As good a classroom
teacher as he is, his real strength lies
in one-on-one tutorials with his
students. He is able to use his
considerable skills and innate
enthusiasm to extract the best possible
work from each student.”

The unique merging of
differing skills and perspectives that
Joe possesses directly benefits his
students artistically and educationally.
This confluence of differing talents is
best described by his nominator, who
said “His membership in both Animation
and Puppetry guilds ensures his being
aware of current developments in his
field; his involvement with CDI puts him
on the cutting edge of the newest design
technologies. His doctoral research on
the cultural effects of media and the
influence…it has in shaping the way we
learn… gives him insight into the latest
theories and practices of pedagogy.”

Kelly
Maxner, School of Drama

Mr. Kelly Maxner has
experienced UNCSA as a student, an
alumnus, a member of the faculty, and
since 2006, as Director of Drama’s High
School Program. A recurring theme
throughout his nominations, letters of
support, and evaluations was a rigorous
commitment to excellence while taking
the time to meet each student where they
are. Kelly talks about this dedication
to excellence in his philosophy of
teaching, stating that “I believe in
taking the time to be tenacious and
specific. We live in a vague and general
society that allows and encourages its
members to skim the surface…I am
committed to asking the hard questions
that lead to the discovery of the vital
and profound specifics.”

This tenacity is
tempered, however, by a very clear
dedication and desire to care for and
foster the development of his students.
A sentiment echoed by many of them in
course evaluations is aptly summarized
by the following comment: “Kelly is
always available and more than willing
to help any and every student in our
ensemble – he keeps a watchful eye on
our individual needs and because of his
ability to challenge each and every one
of us we have all grown…as artists and
as people”

Kelly has benefited
from a diverse and successful artistic
background that began with formal
training in dance (BFA, UNCSA) directing
(BFA, UNCSA) and choreography (MFA,
Smith College). He has taken those
disparate backgrounds and transformed
them into a successful artistic career
that has informed and influenced his
outstanding teaching at UNCSA. A peer
evaluator aptly summarized what makes
Kelly such an outstanding member of the
faculty, stating that “He challenges his
students without being gruff, sets
standards that are high but able to be
accomplished and demands and gets the
best out of them. Those that have a
future in professional theatre are given
a solid foundation in the work, and
those that will travel other paths learn
the joy that can come with discipline
and commitment.”

Nancy
Streblow, High School Academic Program

Ms. Nancy Streblow has
taught in the UNCSA High School Academic
Program since 2006. A faculty member
that teaches AP Literature and English
Composition, Nancy strives to see
continued development from her students
while helping them understand and
appreciate literature of all genres.
Nancy has a strong desire to see her
students prepared to excel in their next
steps in life. She talks about how this
translates into the importance of her
role as an AP Literature teacher,
stating that “My task…is to awaken their
critical thinking, foster their reading
and writing skills, and prepare them for
achieving college credit for this high
school course by taking the AP exam.”
Nancy has truly succeeded in this
objective, as 92% of her students have
passed the AP examination since she
joined UNCSA, earning valuable credit
towards a future college degree.

Technology has changed
virtually everything about our society,
and education is no different. Rather
than hide from technology, Nancy
actively embraces it as a way to improve
her students understanding of the
material at hand. She has integrated
Facebook and YouTube into her classroom
(comparing Jimi Hendrix playing “Purple
Haze” to Lord Byron), and encourages
students to embrace non-traditional
forms of class presentations, including
skits, songs, and monologues. This
melding of approaches is apparent when
Nancy discusses that she “…incorporates
film, visual art, television shows, and
pop songs into my discussions and
encourage [students] to see films and
compare them to the novels they have
read.”

Nancy passionately
believes in and pushes each and every
one of her students. This sentiment was
well captured in her letter of
nomination, with the individual noting
that “…the student can count on personal
attention; the student will be required
to express an opinion and defend it; the
teacher will demand thought and
articulation.”

Will
Taylor, School of Design & Production –
Visual Arts Program

A member of the
faculty of Design & Production since
2005, Mr. Will Taylor additionally
assumed the responsibility of Director
of the Visual Arts Program in 2011. Will
is a committed artist and teacher who
desires to maximize a student’s
technical ability, while ensuring they
have a broad array of skills to bring to
bear later in life. This concept is
clearly on display in his teaching
philosophy statement, when he says “In
addition to producing versatile
craftsmen, I am equally committed to
producing creative thinkers. I intend to
arm students with the appropriate
vernacular, skill sets, and conceptual
breadth to liberate personal
philosophies and aesthetics within our
visual discipline.”

As an incredibly
prepared and thorough faculty member,
Will strives to ensure that his students
are being presented with the most
rigorous and appropriate form of
instruction. A peer commented that “He
professionally devises and implements
his course of study with thoughtfully
planned projects that push students’
technical proficiency and stretch their
conceptual capacity, while helping them
to develop a responsible aesthetic
vocabulary.” This sentiment was echoed
by a student, who stated the following
in the evaluation process: “Will is a
teacher who challenges you to think/view
your art in a way you normally would
not. The variety of mediums gives you a
wide range of experiences while still
tying in key themes and principles.”

Will has consistently
worked to ensure that his pedagogy
reflects artistic standards that are
both current and relevant; this was
highlighted by another member of the
faculty, who said that “…he has shown a
strong concern for both professional
development (exhibitions, conference
presentations, grants) and excellence in
teaching. Students in both his VA and
D&P classes produce consistently strong
work, and often reference lessons
learned in his class and other
contexts.” While his technical
proficiency is readily apparent, the
following statement perhaps shows why he
is so successful” “Will’s inventive
spirit and project ideas are born, I
believe, out of his limitless
imagination. His teaching style could
best be described as passionate, driven,
and sensitive.”

The University of
North Carolina Board of Governors
established a series of "Excellence in
Teaching" awards in 1994. The
policy notes that the awards are to
"encourage, identify, recognize, reward
and support good teaching within the
university."

At UNCSA, recipients
are chosen each year from those current,
full-time members of the faculty who are
nominated to receive an award. One of
them is then forwarded on to the UNC
Board of Governors to receive a system
wide teaching award, which includes a
commemorative bronze medallion and a
stipend of $7,500. That winner will also
be honored during commencement exercises
in May.

The Board of Governors
will meet in February to select the
recipients of the UNC Board of Governors
Excellence in Teaching Awards.

The University of North Carolina School
of the Arts is the first
state-supported, residential school of
its kind in the nation. Established as
the North Carolina School of the Arts by
the N.C. General Assembly in 1963, UNCSA
opened in Winston-Salem (“The City of
the Arts”) in 1965 and became part of
the University of North Carolina system
in 1972. More than 1,100 students from
middle school through graduate school
train for careers in the arts in five
professional schools: Dance, Design and
Production (including a Visual Arts
Program), Drama, Filmmaking, and Music.
UNCSA is the state’s only public arts
conservatory, dedicated entirely to the
professional training of talented
students in the performing, visual and
moving image arts. Internationally
renowned conductor John Mauceri has been
chancellor of UNCSA since 2006. UNCSA is
located at 1533 S. Main St.,
Winston-Salem. For more information,
visit
www.uncsa.edu.